World News

China protests US sanctions for its alleged role in hacking incidents

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said the country has cracked down on cyber attacks and that Washington was using the issue to defame and smear China

Weather extremes of 2024 leading to intense floods, droughts: Report

Global warming, caused by fossil fuel burning, is increasing the strength and rainfall intensity of monsoons, cyclones and other storm systems

Euro zone economy ended 2024 in fragile state as activity contracted: PMI

Headline index was boosted by the bloc's dominant services sector, whose PMI bounced back above breakeven to 51.6 from November's 49.5, but was weighed down by a sharper decline in factory activity

Antony Blinken warns of Russia-North Korea cooperation in space technology

The remarks by Blinken came as North Korea fired a suspected hypersonic missile into the East Sea

Indonesia dishes out first free meals in programme targeting 83 mn people

Despite being centrepiece of an election campaign that catapulted Prabowo to power last year, scheme was rolled out with little fanfare, with no official launch and just 190 kitchens involved

Afghans arrive in Philippines to process visas for resettlement in US

Philippines agreed last July to temporarily host a US immigrant visa processing centre for a limited number of Afghan nationals

Trina Solar sets world record for its technology's conversion efficieny

In laboratory tests, Trina's large surface area n-type fully passivated heterojunction (HJT) modules demonstrated an efficiency of 25.44 per cent

Five Indian-origin men charged with murder of Indian man in New Jersey

Sandeep Kumar, 34, of South Ozone Park, New York, was charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder in connection with the death of Kuldeep Kumar in Manchester Township

Israel denies reports Hamas forwarded list of 34 hostages for release

The denial comes amid ongoing negotiations between Hamas and Israel, mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the US

Pulitzer-winning cartoonist quits Washington Post after Bezos cartoon axed

The rejected cartoon featured Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman, and Patrick Soon-Shiong bowing to a statue of President-elect Donald Trump

Rare win for Malaysia's ex-PM Najib as court grants appeal in detention bid

Malaysia's pardons board, at the time chaired by then King Al-Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah, agreed in February last year to halve Najib's jail sentence to six years from 12 and reduced fines imposed

China's service sector rises to 7-mth high, but overseas orders decline

The growth pace was the fastest since May 2024, driven by the surge in domestic demand

Americans shouldn't forget Capitol attack, but it won't repeat: Biden

'We should be proud that our democracy withstood this assault' Biden wrote, 'and we should be glad we will not see such a shameful attack again this year'

Chinese cyberattacks on Taiwan govt averaged 2.4 mn a day in 2024: Report

Taiwan's Government Service Network, or GSN, received a daily average of 2.4 million attacks last year, double the daily average of 1.2 million in 2023

North Korea fires suspected ballistic missile as Blinken visits Seoul

South Korea's military said the missile was launched eastward at around noon (0300 GMT) shortly after Blinken met with South Korean Acting President Choi Sang-mok

Bangladesh former PM Khaleda Zia to seek medical treatment abroad

The 79-year-old former prime minister, who has been battling multiple health complications, including liver cirrhosis, heart disease, and kidney issues, will stay at her son Tarek Rahman's residence

After 2024's big corruption crackdown, China vows more probes, retribution

Last year, China was rocked by surge of corruption probes ensnaring individuals from a vice central bank governor to a former chairman of its biggest oil and gas company, adding to unease in economy

South Korea police seek to extend impeached President's arrest warrant

The agency and police confirmed the discussion on Monday, hours before the one-week warrant for Yoon's detention was to expire

Vietnam's 2024 GDP growth accelerates to 7.09% driven by strong exports

GDP grew 7.55 per cent in the fourth quarter, the fastest quarterly growth in more than two years, the General Statistics Office said in a report

China service activity hits 7-month high but US fears dent hope: Caixin PMI

The growth pace was the fastest since May 2024, surpassing the 50-mark that separates expansion from contraction on a monthly basis